Look at verse 4. Another amazing thing about them is that they risked their lives for Paul. ‘And not only I,’ Paul says, ‘but all the churches of the Gentiles are grateful to them.’
They also risked their lives for Paul and the churches. We don’t know exactly what Paul is referring to there. Was it the Ephesian riot in Acts 19, which is probably where Priscilla and Aquila were living at the time, so they may well have helped deliver Paul. Or were they the ones who harboured Paul when he was being hunted and persecuted in Damascus, as covered in Acts 9? Or was it just their constant willingness to risk their necks by continuing to publicly follow Christ in a culture that hated Christians?
Either way… they risked their lives for the church!
May I commend to you the idea of risking your lives for the gospel? Now, thankfully, we’re not at the stage where our lives are at risk in this country, but you may be called to move to another country where your life will be at risk. If you want to do that, great! But also, consider putting yourself in situations where you miss out on a meal or two for the sake of serving the church. That’s worth it — there’s little risk of your life there. It might be other things that feel life-threatening, like risking embarrassment, risking shame, risking ridicule, or risking monetary loss. Though these aren’t in reality life-risking things, they feel like it.
This element of equality is important, because of the eight times that Priscilla and Aquila are mentioned in the Bible, Priscilla is mentioned first six times. Nothing in the Bible is coincidental, so that’s worth noting. Now, just because Priscilla is listed first—that doesn’t mean she didn’t submit to her husband in their marriage, and it doesn’t mean that she held church office, as we’ve said before. The Bible sets out that one of the many qualifications for church leadership is that it is done by men, not women. But something about Priscilla meant it was appropriate to list her first, that shouldn’t be ignored.
So note the value of women that Paul highlights in this chapter. We’ve already had Phoebe as the first person mentioned in the chapter—a woman—and then we have Priscilla as the first person mentioned in this couple. As we said, it’s often Priscilla who is the first one who’s mentioned in the couple. Women play a vital role in the church, often being mentioned first in order to highlight their primary role in many aspects of church life (cf. the resurrection of Jesus). In the Lord’s plan, local churches would crumble and fail without women; that’s the way that God has intended it to be.
We also need to note the need for us, as churches, to show our gratefulness to those who have helped us or risked their lives for us. That means thanking God for those saints of the past who literally laid down their lives so that we could have what we have. Bible translators who were literally killed for translating the Bible into English, church leaders who were martyred so that we can meet together as we are. But then also, we need to show our gratitude for others who serve us and help us. Be grateful for them, express your thanksgiving, say thank you. That’s how you express gratefulness. Thank God for those who serve you and help you.
Finally, may I encourage you to use your homes for God’s glory, as Priscilla and Aquila did.
